Leica Showcase Leica M8 and M8.2 Using M8Raw2dng

Brian

Product of the Fifties
This thread is for images made using M8 "RAW" mode and the M8raw2dng file convertor.

M8raw2dng – Tool to convert Leica M8 RAW files to DNG

These are using V1.05 with the -c option, which uses the M9 color profiles.

Examining colors, they look good to me. The "Green" table cloth in the schoolhouse looks accurate, and this table cloth used to appear "Blue" in early M9 files.

These are with the Minolta 50/1.4, IR cut filter used. ISO 160, wide-open.

The last image is taken from outside- through the old Window, very soft.
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More with the Minolta.
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With the Jupiter-8, modified for close-focus ~0.8m.

M8 RAW, using V1.05 M8raw2dng.
 

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This is the cleanest ISO 2500 image that I've had using the M8. RAW format, converted using V1.1 of m8raw2dng, colors adjusted using Photoshop CS2. I normalized the histograms for each of the RGB channels then used "auto-level". No noise reduction in post processing.

35/1.7 Ultron, wide-open.
 
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Version 1.2 of Arvid's raw convertor is out, and judging from the new conversions, it is quite nice.

I've been using it almost exclusively with the M8. I'm experimenting with the monochrome conversions using the uncompressed Raw files.

These are with the late version Jupiter-12 35/2.8, shimmed and optimized for the Leica. ISO 160, RAW Mode, converted using a Simulated blue filter. NO IR filter.
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Color shots from today, a 1963 ZOMZ Jupiter-3 5cm F1.5- also optimized for Leica.
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Color with the J-12, no IR filter used. The shadow detail is improved with the RAW mode. I need to try some high ISO shots with V1.2.

The M8 is now 8 years old, and "Better than ever" between Firmware improvements from Leica and Uncompressed Raw files from Arvid.
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While everyone is talking about Leica's newest Digital camera, I'm still discovering capabilities of the M8.

This is using M8RAW2DNG, an example of how much shadow detail is present in the uncompressed image.

Shot straight into the Sun, J-3, wide-open.

Shot at ISO 160, F1.5, 1/8000th.

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This is a 4 Stop Push, equivalent of ISO2500, then colors balanced in Photoshop.

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I'm amazed at what the raw processor is doing for high ISO with the Kodak sensor. It's an amazing sensor, I've used its little brother in the Oly E-1 for a few years now. Nothing touches it for fall color.

Although the M 240 sensor is superb, it isn't a replacement for the Kodak sensors in the M8, M9, and ME.
 
I've been using M8Raw2Dng for almost a year now. I like the extra latitude with the M8, and the extra detail. The M8's 1/8000th of a second top shutter speed allows use of fast lenses in brightly lit conditions. I like using the M8 with the hacked SLR lenses, especially the Minolta MC Mount 50/1.4. This lens is center-sharp, and suits the M8 1.3x crop factor.

Wide-Open, Fall colors. Contrast increased with 16-bit DNG, then exported to JPEG.

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Fall Colors

F1.4 and 1/6000th second.

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Fall Colors

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Fall Colors

This lens maintains coupling down to 0.65m. That, and the crop factor- allows for some tight shots.
 
some more with the M8 yesterday, these are from the "Hybrid Sonnar/J3", made from left overs of 6 (or so) lenses.

at F4,

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Gunston Hall, Fall

Wide-Open.

The M8 gets all the cool lenses.

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Gunston Hall, Fall

I picked through several front elements to get this rendering.

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Gunston Hall, Fall

Hard to explain- until you swap out four front elements on a lens, then compare the wide-open shots.

Wide-Open, I used LR 3.6 to increase contrast on this one.

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Gunston Hall, Fall

Why does the M8 get the "Hacked" lenses: The 1.3x crop factor makes it easier to convert SLR lenses, i can use a tube for a Cam and make anti-reflection baffling without worrying about vignetting; the M8's thin IR filter softens the image less than the M9; AND 1/8000th of a second shutter speed means shooting wide-open, outdoors, on a sunny day. With M8Raw2DNG the full capability of the CCD is realized. Not that I'll get rid of the other two Digital M's, but the M8 is a favorite "grab and go" camera.
 
I wanted a visualization of DNG8 compression loss, wrote a FORTRAN program that processes an uncompressed DNG file and computes the values that would have been discarded if compression had been used.

Leica M8 with a 5cm F1.5 J-3, at F4.

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L1015636 by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

What is thrown away by the "Slightly Lossy" compression routine.

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L15636DF by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

Some color,

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L1015634 by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

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L15634DF by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr
 
My friend has an M8, and has been using the Button Dance and M8RAW2DNG. Discovered he had a hot pixel and a hot column. I modified the code I use for the M Monochrom to correct the .DNG file as output by M8RAW2DNG. I also left the Gamma Curve option in, not knowing what it would do to the colors of the resulting image.

What do you think? All of these are straight exports to JPEG using ART. The "C*.dng" have the bad column corrected, the "G*.dng" have a gamma curve applied to the raw values, the values are then written as 16-bits/pixel rather than the native 14 bits.
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